Playing Cupid
by DigitalEloquence
Summary: C/M, A/U, R/R


He entered the coffee shop, a heavy dark gray jacket thrown loosely over his shoulders, immediatly he saw his friend Phoebe, perched on the couch, flipping through a magazine, numbly. He went over to sit with her and as he settled on the couch she looked up at him and smiled.   
"Hey," she said, still smiling. Her face held a soft blush, as it almost always did when she'd come back from a date with another weirdo guy, and her eyes looked a little sparkley.  
"Hello," he said, settling down on the couch beside her.   
"Why so glum?" she asked, lowering the magazine and rasing her head at exactly the same time, to look at him.  
"Oh, well...another horrible break-up message on my awnsering machine," he replied, "Sometimes I wonder if I'm just not attractive enough or something." He bent over slightly to shift through a few of the magazines Phoebe had brought in from her apartment.  
"Oh, Chandler, come on - you're very attractive," she said, through her bright smile.  
"You guys just say that because that's what friends say, right? I mean, come on Pheebs, tell the truth," he glanced at her.  
"No, seriously. You are very nice looking, Chandler," she lowered her head to her magazine, once again.  
"Yeah, well...how come I never have a date then? Huh, Pheebs?"  
"Well, you're more of the brother type, y'know," she said, shaking her head a little bit, up and down.   
"The brother type?" he asked.  
"Uh-huh, yeah...the kind of guy who's more like a big brother, not exactly like a boyfriend...but around anyway. At least, that's how I always saw you," she replied, shutting the magazine and throwing it at the coffee table.  
"The brother type..." he began to mutter, as he flopped the magazine open. Phoebe grabbed another magazine and pretended to read it, but instead, spent her time watching Chandler and his muttering. It really wasn't fair, he was such a sweet guy and so funny that it almost killed you, but for some reason she found that no one really wanted to be with him. That simply made no sense to Phoebe, none at all.  
  
  
"Rachel? Is that you?" the call from Monica's bedroom came, as Rachel flew through the door, carrying her things from work with her.   
"Yeah, Mon, it's me," Rachel called, pulling her shoes off hurriedly. She flicked her eyes toward Monica's bedroom door to see Monica standing inside it. She looked upset and somehow messy, like she hadn't been out of the house all day. It was strange to ever think of Monica as messy, but it occured to her and it scared her.  
"Honey, what's wrong?" Rachel said, surveying Monica's face with her hazel-brown eyes.   
"I - I've been looking in the mirror a lot, lately...and well, Rachel, do you think I'm pretty enough?" Monica asked this softly, like a little girl needing to be reassured by her mother.   
"Monica, you're - " Rachel began, but she was cut off by Monica who said, "I'm not. I'm not or I'd have a boyfriend."  
"Monica, are you crazy or something? You've had boyfriends, you could have a boyfriend any time you wanted. You are in no way ugly, in fact you are exactly the opposite of ugly," Rachel sighed, trying to make that old clinched grin of Monica's re-appear.  
"Rachel, I - I'm not. Really, something must be wrong with me," Monica sniffled.  
"Monica, nonsense. Total nonsense," Rachel said, sailing toward Monica to give her a hug.   
"I don't think so, Rach... I'm just going to go get a shower and then probably go down to the coffee shop," Monica said, mangaging something that looked like a half grin.  
Rachel watched her best friend in the entire world dissappearing into the bathroom with that royal blue robe of her's in hand. It really was sad how the perfect guys always seemed to ignore her. And as she thought of the poor girl spending the day at home, depressed because she thought she wasn't pretty, it made her terribly sad and a little angry. Rachel, in fact, was now determined to find the perfect guy for Monica.   
  
Rachel entered the coffee shop, saw Phoebe speaking to some red headed girl, and then surveyed the shop for her other friends. Monica had decided to stay home after all, even though Rachel had pleaded with her to come on along to Central Perk anyway, she'd passed Chandler on the way down to the apartment and evdidently he was going home, Joey was nowhere to be found, and Ross, like Joey, had dissappeared into thin air.   
She slipped onto the empty couch and shuffled through a few of the oddly miss-placed magazines on the coffee table. Phoebe joined her seconds later, with a huge cup of coffee balanced in one hand and a little white card in the other.  
"That girl was so nice - her name was Lexi. She told me all about this new independent film class thing that she was looking for actors for and I happened to mention that one of my friends was an actor, and she told me it'd be just perfect if he'd just call this number and - " Phoebe rambled, the bussiness card around.  
"Pheebs?" Rachel asked, boredly from the couch, "please, don't tell me about this Lexi girl. I have something on my mind, okay? But - yeah, do tell Joey"  
"Kay. I plan to - really. So what's bothering you?" Phoebe sat right down and balanced the coffee cup in her hands.  
"It's Monica, she's been so depressed lately. Today she asked me if she was pretty enough and well - y'know what I told her, don't you?" Phoebe shook her head.   
"So, she told me she wasn't pretty because she didn't have a boyfriend and well - I was kind of sitting here wondering about what the perfect guy for Monica would be like," Rachel said, pushing a strand of loose hair away from her eyes.  
"Well," Phoebe began, "he'd be sweet and smart, he'd have a great personality, and he'd be just everything that Monica ever wanted in a guy. Oh, and he'd be trustworthy, responsible, and all those other things that girl's like Mon like in guys."  
Rachel smiled when the thought actually came to her, "Chandler."  
"Yeah, what about him?" Phoebe said, looking into her coffee.  
"Chandler is everything that Monica wants in a guy, well...not everything but he's enough," Rachel smiled and leaned back in her chair.   
Phoebe gazed at her and suddenly she burst out, "Chandler asked me today if he was attractive, I bet he'd die for the chance to date someone. Anyone, but especially Monica. He knows her so well, y'know." Rachel had this odd glint in her eyes, "Did I ever tell you I was a matchmaker, Pheebs? An expert matchmaker?"  
"No, but you seem to be the type who'd do that sort of thing. Y'know, matchmaking. But - yeah, I'd like to get into this matchmaking thing. I mean, who doesn't love playing cupid?" Phoebe replied, flashing her a trademark smile.  
"Okay," Rachel said, leaning in toward Phoebe, "this is what we do." And so, the brillant plan came into effect.   
  
"Hey," Phoebe said as she entered Joey and Chandler's apartment. Joey was sitting alert in front of the TV while Chandler tinkered in the kitchen.   
"Hey Pheebs," Joey called, not turning his gaze away from the TV.   
Now that Joey had acknowleged her excistance she turned to Chandler.   
"Remember what you said about never having a date?" she asked.   
"Yeah," he said, looking up from the remains of a tin foil swan that one of Joey's dates had left the night before.   
"Well...I found you a date," she leaned on the counter, facing him and eagerly smiling.   
"Really? She isn't...weird, is she Pheebs?" he said, giving her one of his unique Chandler-only pauses.   
"No. In fact - she's a very sweet person. She's got a very unique sense of humor and a wonderful personality," Phoebe informed him.   
"She's fat, isn't she?" Chandler asked, softly.   
"No! Not at all," it made Phoebe smile when he asked that, it was one of those smiles that was garunteed to last all night. He'd understand the smile later.   
"Oh?" he hummed lowering his head to the tin foil swan. He was not at all impressed, in fact he might not even believe her.   
"Yeah, in fact, she's hot," Phoebe said.   
"Really?!"   
"Yeah...you'll so love her," Phoebe smiled.   
"Then it's a date then, you tell her   
I'll...uhhh...come pick her up," Chandler said, picking up the tin foil swan and heading to the fridge with it.   
"Okay."   
Then, done with her part of the plan, feeling relieved, Phoebe walked over to where Joey was sitting and settled herself on the arm of his chair.   
  
"I have the greatest news for you, Mon! I found a guy that's totally perfect for you," Rachel smiled as she entered the big purple living room the next morning..   
Monica, turned around from the counter and placed a soda can and an orange on the table. "Yeah, so...citrus fruit or citrus drink?".   
"Definatly citrus drink," Rachel said, and Monica threw the can toward her. Rachel caught it with one hand.   
"So...you found the greatest guy for me in this world? So, what's his marital status? In a long-term relationship? Engaged?" Monica sat down at the table before the orange and balanced her chin in her hands, impatiently.   
"No. He's single," Rachel said, clearing her throat and opening the can.   
Monica gave her a very suprised look and said, "So, let's get this straight...an available guy, who's everything I've ever wanted? Rachel, you're not serious."   
Rachel raised her eyesbrows and smiled, "You can meet him on Saturday night at...at someplace, but I'm sure I can set something up."   
"Thanks Rach," Monica said, finally picked up the orange. She threw it into the air and caught it with a quick swipe with one hand. Slowley but smoothly, she began to peel the orange, studying it all the while.   
"So you'll do it," Rachel asked, sipping the drink.   
"Of course, why not?" Monica asked, looking up from the orange.   
Rachel shrugged, "I figured you'd have questions."   
"Oh, I do."   
"Really?"   
"Okay, you know my big long list of things I'm looking for in a guy?" Monica said.   
Rachel nodded.   
"And?" Monica asked, hopeful.   
"He fits every one of them," Rachel said.   
  
"Rachel, why?" Ross asked, following his girlfriend into the kitchen of his apartment. She opened the refrigerator and pulled out a green-unmarked bottle, turning, she eyed him and then sighed.   
"Ross, you should have seen the look on Monica's face. She looked so happy. Aren't you glad she's happy?"   
Rachel said, pausing to turn to a cabenit and pull out two, also green-tinted, glasses. She handed one to Ross, pouring some of the liquid inside.   
"Of course she was happy, she didn't know it was Chandler," Ross whined. Rachel shook her head and stalked away. He followed her in a quick burst, out into his living room where Joey and Phoebe waited. Phoebe had her guitar on her lap and was making marks on a legal pad in front of her while Joey watched TV with a bored look on his face.   
"Do you think that would make any diffrence to her?" Rachel asked, slipping to the other side of the room as to put Joey and Phoebe between Ross and herself, glass in hand.   
"Yes," Ross shouted at her from where he stood.   
"Look, I'm sorry if I'm disturbing you're argument here but I'm trying to write a song here, and you are totally messing up my flow," Phoebe said, flicking her eyes from Ross to Rachel and back again. She glanced at the legal pad and made a mark with her pen.   
"There, all done - now you all have to listen to it, it's wonderful" Phoebe cried, holding the legal pad out at arm's length. Everyone in the room turned their attention to Phoebe and wiggling around to where she felt comfertable she began to sing:   
  
'Wind, wind - rain, rain   
Song of tears   
Poor little alien   
La, la, la, la, la, laa-leea'   
  
She paused and then relaxed. Ross turned a quick and strange glance at Rachel who looked equally frightend.   
"Anyways - you had no right to let Chandler take my little sister out anywhere," Ross cried, Rachel rolled her eyes.   
"Ross, Chandler is your best friend. He's not going to hurt her or anything. Besides, she's a big girl, she can take care of herself. Okay, Ross?" Rachel sighed.   
"No, not okay Ross," Ross said, looking into his drink.   
"Could you quieten down? I'm trying to listen to the TV, okay?" Joey cried, giving them a blank stare.   
"Sure - sure. Whatever," Ross said, taking a tiny sip of his drink, "What is this? Rat poison?"   
"No," Rachel replied, "I brought it over."   
"You guys!"   
"I wonder what Monica's doing right now?" Ross mused. Rachel sighed, "Probably getting into a cab. She was taking a shower when I left."   
"Oh, yeah. Yeah," Ross said, obviously worried.   
"Ross, I know a great thing when I see it," Rachel said, tenderly.   
"You guys, you are totally wrecking my TV time!" Joey cried.   
"And my flow!" Phoebe added.   
  
Monica slowley climbed into the yellow cab, her hair up, make-up done. She curled up inside, giving the proper information to the Cab Driver, toying with the hem of her dress.   
It was a nice dress. Real nice, black and at the very edges it frosted into a softer, more transparent black. It was short, not as short as some of the things Rachel usually wore. Still, it was short for her.   
She watched the dark streets, clouded with puddles of water and shiny from that morning's rain.   
She sighed, antsy and wondering who could be so perfect and wonderful for her alone.   
Secretly, Monica wished that this guy was everything Rachel promised and she hoped that this guy alone wouldn't break her heart.   
  
Chandler waited, toying with his hands, sitting at the table that the curt waiter had escorted him to, in the resteraunt that Phoebe had sent him to. He stared at his hands and tried not to feel very uncomfertable in his current situation.   
He knew that Phoebe really ment it, what she'd said about this girl. Evidently, she was perfect.   
Perfect.   
And unlike Joey, who was perfectly happy with just staring at the Baywatch girls on TV or dating a diffrent girl every other night, Chandler wanted a steady girlfriend. No, he didn't exactly want total commitment, but he did want honest care and that's what he hoped to recieve. A steady girlfriend. Now only if that wasn't to much to ask.   
  
"Waiter?" she asked the polite looking man checking a list of names by the front door.   
"Yes," the man looked up at her.   
"There were, umm, there were reservations. For a Miss.Rachel Green," said said, biting her lips.   
"Oh, yes. The blind date?" he asked. She shook her head, yes, trying to look as gorgeous as Rachel did at times like this.   
She felt she was failing miserably.   
"Right this way," he said, and she followed him down a brief hall.   
She followed him and then - then she saw him.   
Her date.   
"Chandler? What are you doing here," she gasped, moving toward him.   
"I - I have a date here. Are you - uh...you are, aren't you?"   
"I - I...I guess I am," Monica whispered.   
"Thanks," she opened the menu the waiter had given her, still trying to be polite.   
"You, you - uh - you look nice, Mon" he said, looking at her with his eyes wide and worried.   
"Do you...uhhh...want me to take you home or something. I mean, this is akward for you, isn't it?" Chandler asked, he didn't seem like himself for a moment and Monica smiled. Not a grin but a real smile.   
"No - no, I think I might even enjoy this," Monica said.   
"Oh - okay," Chandler nodded, reverting his eyes back to his menu.   
"Is this - uh, akward for you or anything?" she said, never looking up from her menu.   
"Uhh - no, not really... Well - yes," he said, looking defeated.   
"Me two, actually," she said.   
They ordered, never looking at each other. When the waiter left, Chandler cleared his throat. Monica looked up at him.   
"Do - you, uhh...know what Phoebe told me? About you, Mon?" he asked.   
"No," she shook her head.   
"Well, she said in terms that - you're funny, sweet, and a great date for me. I know 75 % of that is true," he said, trying to invoke a little giggle from her.   
She shrugged, "You want to know what Rachel said about you? You do don't you?"   
He nodded.   
"She said you were perfect for me. Everything I've ever wanted or dreamed about," Monica said, a small smile crinkling the very edges of her lips.   
"Oh?" he asked, raising his eyebrows, "So, umm...do I fit any of the qualities on your list?"   
Monica glanced down at the table.   
"What," Chandler asked, "Is the news terrible? Am I undateable in your eyes?"   
She mumbled something that he couldn't hear.   
"A little louder. Kay, Mon?"   
"Rachel was right," she said, a little louder but still very soft.   
"A little bit louder, Monica," he said. He couldn't even believe his ears.   
"Rachel was right," Monica said again. Again louder.   
"Just a little louder, Mon. Just a little. Shout it from the roof-tops. I am your perfect guy," he leaned back in his chair with a boyish smile spread across his face.   
She was laughing when she said it again. And, yes, blushing. That wonderful little date blush that Phoebe and Rachel seemed to radiate all the time just before and after dates, but one he'd hardley ever seen on Monica.   
She was lovely. 


End file.
